Vestibule-car



(No Model.) 2 sheets-sneet 2. N. P. COWELL.

VBSTIBULB GAR.

No. 394,340. Patented Deo. il, 1888.

N. PETERsnPrmen-Lnmgraphr. Washingwn. D. c.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

NEIVELI. P. COVELL, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

VESTIBULE-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 394,340, dated December1l, 1888.

Application filed April 2l, 1888` To @ZZ whom it may corwern:

Be itkllown thatI, NEWELL I). COWELL, of Cleveland, ill the eounty olCuyahoga and State oi' Ollio, have in vented Certain new alld uset'ulIlllprovenlents ill Vestibl'lle-Cars; and I do llere'bydeelare thefollowing to be a full, clear, alld exaet deseriptioll ot the invention,such as will ellable others skilled ill the art to wlliell it pertainsto make alld use the same.

My illventioll relates to illlprovelnents ill vestibulesears, illwlliell all open self-adjusting lnetal tranle is loeated at the endopening oi' the vestibule in position to abut a similar t'ranle of allopposing ear, snell trame being `integral witllV or attached to a deepriln or flange tllat extends toward the vestibule t'or closing the spaeebetweell the tralne and vestibule, the internal dimensions ot' thefranle and rilll being snell as to inelose the passageway from vestibuleto vestibule, said iframe being pivoted top and bottolll tospril'lg-aetus ated push-bars, the latter extending length- `wise of theear, by lneans of which opposing trames are held ill eolltaet alld thetraine may tnrll on its axis the linlited distance neeessary toaeeonlnlodate itself to the eurvature of the traek, to the end tllat asul'lstalltial illelosure is had of the passage-way from one Avestibuleto another, whereby the heat of the ears is retained, sllloke alld dustare exel u ded, alld sneh passage-way is rendered as sat'e as otherparts oit' the ear.

My invention also relates to details ot' eonstruction hereinafterdeseribed, and pointed out 'ill the elainls.

In the aeeonlpanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevatiml oi' aportion ot' two oplilosing vestibule-ears. Fig. is a side elevation illsection. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section ill detail, hereinafterdeserilllet'l. Fig. t is all elld elevatioll. Fig. 5 is a plall, partlyin seetion. Fig. t) is a plan showin a portion ot two ears ill positionon a sharp eurve oi' the traek.

A represellts a vestibule-ear.

B is a n'letal franle, loeated at the outer end ot' the vestibllle illposition to abllt a similar tranle of all opposing ear whell the earsare eoupled. rllle internal dimensions ot' tllis t'ranle eorreslrlondsubstantially witll the illner easing ot' the vestibule, so tllat allunobstructed passage-way is had t'ronl one ear to (No model.)

allotller tlll'ollgll the opellillg of these t'ranles. The lowernlelllber oi the tranle has [langes -3 and- B2 Afor elnbraeing thebumper-plate A', the top surface ot' flange ll beillg about flush witllthe Hoor (t ott-he vestibule. A tllill lnetal plate, u', is fastened tothe iioor alld overlaps some little distanee flange l', so as to eoverthe eraek between the ioor and flange. Frame Il is provided top alldbottolll witll pivotal pills b alld il', tllat eonneet, respeetively,witll spring-aetuated push-bars t alld C', both extending lellgtllwiseot` the ear. Eaeh pushbar has a eollar, e, held rigid on the push-bar,and a spring, e', engagingl sueh eollar, tllese sprillgs aeting outwardonV the push-bar serve to keep iralnes B ot oppos` ing ears always linelose eontaet so long as the ears are eoupled. Push-bar passes witll aneasy tit through a hole ill the stationary plate D, this plate servingas all abutment i'or the inner elld ot' the upper spring. 'llle upperend ot' franle l5 lnoves easily, alld therefore the upper sprillg needbe otf ollly moderate strength. The lower elld ol' tllis t'ranle, byreason of the weigllt thereof, requires more foree to nlove it, alldtherefore the lower spring is nlade stronger tllall the upper spring;also, plate D, against wlliell tlle lower spring abllts, is movable andisaetuated tllrongll the lnediuln ot' a toggle-joint by the draw-bar togive greater tellsioll to tllis spring wllell exeessive draft is had onthe draw-bar, snell excessive drat't of eourse tending to separate theears. The lower push-bar passes witll all easy tit tllrongll a hole illplate D', alld the latter has laterally-projeetill lugs d, tllat operatein grooves d ot plates d2, these lat-ter beill g fastened to theframe-work oi' the platt'ol'nl. Plate D is pivotally eonneeted witlllillks E, tllat ill turn are pivoted to lever E. 'llle latter is pivotedat e to all attaehlnellt ot' the ear-sill, alld the free elld ot thelever rests on inelillefot' draw-bar F, the nornlal positioll otl tlleseparts when the ears are eoupled beillg approximately sllowll ill Fig.The links and lever t'ornl a toggle-joint, and when the draw-bar isdrawnV outward the ill eline fraises the free elld of lever E', therebylnore or less straightening the toggle-joint alld eansing plate D tomove outward and eolllpress or give greater tellsioll to the engagingsprill IOO In starting a train the draft on the draw-bar is sometimesexcessive, thereby quickly separating the cars some distance fartherthan the cars are separated when the train is in motion; hence thenecessity of giving greater tension to the lower spring correspondingwith the extra draft on the draw-bar to insure the lower portion ofopposing frames B being kept in firm contact. Each push-bar is providedwith a laterally-projecting pin, (Z3, that, by engaging', respectively,plates D and D', limit the outward movement of the pushbars andconnected frame. Flange B extends around the four sides of frame B,forming a deep inclosing-rim that overlaps the inner surface of thevestibule-Casin g even when the fiange is drawn out to its full limit,and consequently this rim always closes the space between frame B andthe vestibule. The sides of this rim are preferably concentric with theaxis of frame B. So-called chafing-strips G are set in vertical pocketsof the wood-work, so as to move laterally, these @hating-strips havingcurved faces to t the sides of rim B. Springs g press the chafng-stripsagainst rim B', the latter having sunken panels on the outer surfacethereof, b2, by means of which the chang-strips do not rub the parts ofrim B that are exposed to view from the outside of the cars, andconsequently such exposed portions of the rim may be plates or otherwiseornament-ally finished. Then frame B is forced back, the chaing-stripsare by their engagement with rim B forced farther apart, but always maketight joints with the rim,

and at any tim'e and in any position of the frame and rim in theirmovements lengthwise of the car the frame and rim may turn on theircommon axis to accommodate themselves to an opposing frame in passingaround curves of a track. (See Fig. 6.)

The frame-work of the vestibule, according to its functions, is intendedto be as strong as other portions of the car, and with my improveddevices attached the passage-way from one car to another is rendered assafe as other portions of the cars, and passengers, for instance, inpassing to and from the diningroom car are no more exposed to dangerorto drafts of air, or inconvenience of any kind, than in passing alongthe aisles in a body of CRI'.

That I claim isl. In a vestibulecar, the combination, with openself-adjusting rectangular metal frame, of rigid rim or flange connectedwith such frame and extending toward the vestibule for closing the spacebetween the frame and vestibule, substantially as set forth.

2. In a vestibule-car, the combination, with self-adj usting openrectangular frame, of a rigid rim or flange connected with such frameand projecting toward the vestibule, the sides of such rim beingconcentric with the axis of the frame, substantially as set forth.

3. ln a vestibule-car, the combination, with open frame and rim, thelatter extending toward the vestibule, of spring-actuated chafing-stripsadapted to engage the sides of such rim to form a tight joint therewith,substantially as set forth.

4. In a vestibule-car, the combination, with open self-adjusting frameand inclosing-rim, and chaiing-strips for engaging such rim,substantially as indicated, of sunken panels on the sides of such rim,substantially as described, whereby the exposed portions of the rim arenot engaged by the chaiing-strips.

In testimony whereof I sign this speciication, in the presence of twowitnesses, this Vitnesses:

CHAs. H. DoRER, ALBERT E. LYNCH.

